


Adults Only

by astrangerenters



Category: Final Fantasy XII
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-26
Updated: 2008-01-26
Packaged: 2017-10-23 03:08:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/245612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrangerenters/pseuds/astrangerenters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She watched Balthier down the remainder of his cup's contents, and he tossed it aside. "The trick to the steps is this," he said quickly, pulling her to him suddenly. "There are no steps."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Adults Only

The temple was all too quiet. Ashe leaned back on the cushions and set the book aside. Passage to the Stilshrine was denied them today, and the blizzard was unlikely to let up for another day. She hated being idle – instead of pressing forth on their journey, they were stranded on the holy mountain until the storm passed.

At present, she was alone in the chilly library adjacent to the main hall of the Gran Kiltias' temple, and her boredom was increasing as the minutes passed. The party's dinner had been fairly subdued since poor Larsa was still coping with the news about his father's death in Archades. Only Al-Cid Margrace, also stranded, tried to relieve the tension during the meal with some off-color jokes, and it had driven Ashe to leave the room for the solitude of the library. But even the dusty old books about the time of her ancestors weren't enough.

She'd heard some noise in the halls a while back, probably Vaan and Penelo. Something about an event in the refugee camps further down the mountain. Fran entered the room just as she was getting up. Ashe was unaccustomed to seeing one sky pirate without the other, but with the extra time, they would all be able to take a rest of their own choosing. Balthier did not strike her as someone who spent a lot of time alone in libraries.

"Heading for the dance?" the Viera inquired curiously.

Ashe shrugged. "I have no better way to pass the time. I will just watch…I'm no dancer."

The older woman smiled and began thumbing through the books Ashe had set aside. "The whistles and flutes hurt my ears…too harsh a sound." Fran settled herself comfortably. "The children should already be there."

Ashe nodded and departed the room. The temple was deserted, and she supposed that most of the devout kiltias had already turned in for the night to rise before the dawn. The air wasn't as cold as she expected when she began climbing down the temple steps, and she could already hear the distant sounds of drumming coming from the refugee areas and the bright orange campfires glowed below.

As she drew closer, she could hear the laughter of children and the boisterous music grow louder. Ashe wasn't in a particularly upbeat state of mind, but she hoped watching the dancing and hearing the music would lift her spirits. Too often she let her mind languish on what she had lost and the long journey she still had in front of her – one night's distraction would be welcome indeed from her usual melancholy.

The warmth of the campfires greeted her cheeks and arms, and she felt a warmth of a different sort – the joy of people coming together and celebrating, even after facing such hardship. She was grateful for the camps here on the mountain. Though the empires of Ivalice destroyed so many lives, at least the ones who survived could find some measure of happiness from time to time even when living in tents and only through the support of others.

She immediately saw Vaan and Penelo fly past her in a large mass of clasped hands and hurrying legs. Ashe jumped aside lest the crowd of joyous people knock her down. They were ringed around a large fire with an enthusiastic band playing in the center beside the flames. Peeking over the shoulders of the wild dancing group, she saw a wide array of instruments – the whistling pipes and flutes that Fran disliked, drums, a bagpipe, and a very enthusiastic fiddler who danced while he played.

There were a few dozen people dancing in pairs and in the large circle while families and couples sat on overturned crates and blankets clapping and cheering the dancers on. Ashe smiled as she passed an enthusiastic little boy sitting in his mother's lap clapping wildly. There was a tent set up at the edge of the open area that appeared to have food and drink, and she wandered over. At the end of the queue, she spied a familiar face and gave him a tap on the shoulder.

"Quite the event," she noted in amusement, and Basch nodded.

"All the adversity they've faced," he replied in admiration, "and yet here they are, truly living freely." She understood adversity all too well – and so did her companion. They grabbed a few treats and some cups of a concoction labeled for "Adults Only" and departed the tent. Basch led her through the maze of families over to a few crates where Balthier was waiting.

"I lost the card game, and so I had to fetch him his drink," Basch informed her with a wry smile as they approached. The Captain and the sky pirate had struck up an amusing friendship during their past few weeks of traveling, and Ashe knew that if she spent some time sitting with them that she was doomed to endure lengthy conversations about weaponry and the art of war.

Balthier gave her a nod in greeting and scooted over on his seat to give her some room. She sat down with her plate and took her first sip of the "Adults Only" and was surprised by the sweet taste. "Is there alcohol in this?" she asked.

Basch nodded. "More than you realize." He inclined his head towards the circle of dancers. "Penelo seems to be downing the stuff like the water of life."

Ashe saw that the girl's face was flushed, and probably not just from her dancing. Basch didn't seem to be noticing, but every time the girl came around the circle by them, she gave the Captain a very flirtatious look. The Princess thought it was rather adorable, but worried what too much "Adults Only" would do to a young girl like Penelo with a crush. By the fifth time around, she could tell that Balthier beside her was catching on as well, and they exchanged a grin.

Basch continued on oblivious, tapping the song's beat with his foot and munching on some of the treats from the tent. It was rare that they got to truly relax – so often their nights were spent huddled together on hard, unforgiving ground while someone was on the lookout for beasts. Ashe sipped her drink and couldn't help bobbing her head to the music in her happiness.

The song ended and it seemed to be a break for the musicians. Vaan and Penelo nearly tumbled on their way over. The boy seemed to have had more of the alcohol than his dance partner, and he could barely stand.

"Hey Balthier!" Vaan shouted louder than necessary as they approached, and Penelo tried to swat at him.

The sky pirate looked up from his own drink in annoyance. "Perhaps you'd better sleep this one off, Vaan."

The boy shook his head. "I feel…I feel fantastic!" And that was when he collapsed in a heap on the ground. Ashe shared smiles with her companions, and Balthier sighed.

"I'll go haul him back," the sky pirate mumbled, lifting the boy from the ground and throwing Vaan's arm over his shoulder. "Don't have too much fun without me."

Ashe watched them leave and was suddenly aware of the loss of body heat beside her. She picked at her food and tried to ignore the strange feeling that was sweeping over her. Balthier was a companion, nothing more…the same as Basch and Penelo. Speaking of, Penelo was desperately trying to get the man off of his crate and out for the next round of songs.

For his part, Basch protested that he still owed Balthier another round of cards. The man must have been catching on to the girl's budding interest in him, and she could see his eyes darting about anxiously…anywhere but in Penelo's direction.

"I can play cards with Balthier," she announced suddenly, unsure of why that idea sounded so pleasing to her. Probably the "Adults Only" messing with her head along with the lack of oxygen higher up here in the mountains.

Penelo hopped up and down eagerly. "Please? You must know how to dance!" she begged the man, her pigtail ribbons loosened and her hair already framing her face from her enthusiastic dancing. "They promised to play a song from Landis, I asked!"

Basch was red-faced at that, and Ashe couldn't help laughing at him. "Get up and dance with her already. That's an order!"

The knight glared at her, his eyes narrowing with faked contempt. She grinned widely as Penelo tugged on Basch's arm, and he finally relented. The girl seemed overjoyed to be granted a dance or five with the object of her affections, and Ashe watched them join the others who were lining up again as the musicians got ready to start once more.

"How much did I miss?"

Balthier's voice just beside her ear made her jump, spilling the plate of sweet treats in the dirt at her feet. She scowled at him. "Why did you do that?" Balthier laughed at her surprise, and she shook her head. "Laugh all you want…you're getting in that line over there and getting me a new plate full!"

He bent forward in a reverent bow, and she could tell that his exaggerated gestures implied that he'd had a bit more "Adults Only" before wandering back over to her. "As you wish, Madame. Only the best treats for your ladyship."

She rolled her eyes and watched him swagger away. The band began to play again, and the bagpipes were the loudest noise reaching her ears. Definitely a song of Landis, she reasoned, and although they were at the far edge of the group, she could see the smile threatening to appear on Basch's face. Penelo was struggling to stand, and the girl began dragging him around as the tempo of the song began to pick up. To Ashe's surprise, Basch didn't drag his feet or protest – instead he kept pace with the teenager. The alcohol probably helped to slow the girl down and loosen Basch up.

A plate of delicious smelling treats was held in front of her face then, and she looked up to see Balthier's amused smirk looking down at her. "Two of the chocolate ones," he said, gesturing to each part of the plate in turn, "One with…I think the woman said it was custard, and then this one here…this one's mine."

He pulled it off the plate and had it halfway to his mouth when she launched out a hand and grabbed his wrist. "I want to try…" she shouted a bit noisily, and the sky pirate raised an eyebrow at her hand gripping his arm tightly. Suddenly realizing that she was looking no less lovesick and possessive than Penelo, she pulled her hand back and focused on the desserts in front of her. When they were done, she set the plate aside and clutched her cup of "Adults Only" tightly.

She felt a warm hand on her arm then, reaching to turn her free hand over to deposit half of the mystery treat in her palm. Looking up, Balthier had sat down rather close and was waiting for her next move.

Ashe felt a blush creep into her cheeks, and she could hear the whistling pipes and drumming pounding in her head. She set the cup down and held the treat up to her face for a closer inspection. It was chocolate with something red drizzled on the top. She could still feel Balthier sitting close enough for his trousers to brush against the bare skin of her leg, and the laughter and clapping of the families around them was growing louder and louder.

She stuffed the treat in her mouth quickly and barely spent time tasting it before picking her plate up and hurrying off to the tent. Tossing the plate in a bin of trash, she stood at the end of the tent and watched the dancing and musicians. All he'd done was hand her a piece of chocolate. She let her eyes wander to the table with the large tub of the cursed alcohol and sighed. There would be no more of that, she decided firmly.

But all too soon that decision was overturned as she found another cup thrust at her. "Mingling with the commoners, yes?" Al-Cid Margrace teased gently, waiting patiently for her to take the alcohol. As her hand brushed against the Rozarrian's, she couldn't help glancing quickly over to where Balthier was still sitting as she accepted the cup. He seemed to look away as soon as she spotted him, but he could have been looking at numerous other things.

"Thank you," she replied quietly. The man's assistant or servant girl, whichever, was nowhere in sight, and he'd dressed down to join the gathered refugees. "You seem to be mingling as well, sir."

He chuckled heartily. "Ah, it is nice to see the dancing and the festivities. Court is too formal, you will agree?"

She nodded, although it had been some time since she'd been present at a court of any type. But she remembered all the stiff and formal dances, the etiquette and the ceremony of it all, and Ashe found that she actually preferred the boisterous chaos of the dancing people around her. She saw Penelo and Basch, still dancing madly at the edge of the circle. Penelo linked arms with him and kept turning in circles, and it was making Ashe dizzy just to watch it. Al-Cid sipped the damning drink, and she joined him. It was so very deceptive a beverage – she could only detect the faintest trace of something more than fruit within it, and she knew how someone a bit smaller in both age and tolerance like Penelo could succumb to it so quickly.

The Rozarrian stood closer, but not as close as he had earlier that day. He gestured to Basch and Penelo. "Perhaps we should act as your friends, yes? I am afraid I do not know the steps."

His offer was innocent enough, but she had little desire to take him up on it – but she couldn't exactly turn down a potential ally, even for something as simple as a dance. Another quick look revealed that Balthier had departed the area where they'd been sitting, and suddenly she felt something almost like shame. She shook her head and set the cup down on the table behind her. "I know as much as you, my lord," she announced. "The first act of diplomacy between Rozarria and Dalmasca?"

Without his tinted glasses, Al-Cid's eyes were warm and amused in the fire light. He offered his arm gallantly. "I like the terms of this agreement. Much less…how do you say…" he hesitated a moment and then grinned at her. "Paperwork?"

She chuckled and tried to ignore the growing fluttering in her stomach. Where had Balthier gone? Ashe allowed Margrace to lead her to the edge of the dancers, and together they observed the couples whirling around them. Al-Cid held her hand loosely and settled his other at her waist, any traces of the flirtatious aristocrat from earlier in the day having vanished. Perhaps there was more to this man than she'd originally guessed.

A new song began. First, hands pounded noisily on drums while the low hum of the bagpipes set the tone. As the other pipes and fiddle picked up, the almost harsh sound seemed to seep into her veins, tingling from the hairs on her head on down to her toes. She and Al-Cid started into a more courtly waltz-like motion, but they were far slower than the spinning groups around her.

"We fail miserably, my lady," he said with a laugh as he tried to adjust their movements.

She nodded in agreement. "We really are terrible." They stopped for a moment and remained in place for a while. Ashe tried to follow the movement of the people's feet, and even Basch and Penelo's actions seemed confusing and complicated to her. "Perhaps…" she muttered aloud, trying to spin a bit more and tugging Al-Cid along with her.

He tried to go along, but they ended up pulling one another in the wrong direction a few times, and they ended up laughing. "We should wait for something slower. I think we are creatures of habit…"

"Need a lesson, Princess?"

Balthier startled her once more, and even Al-Cid was surprised to see the sky pirate standing right behind them, another full cup of "Adults Only" clutched in his hand. His eyes were a little wild, considering how usually impenetrable his features were. She stepped back from Al-Cid and cleared her throat. "Yes, I think we could both use a few pointers. This isn't exactly the type of dancing we're accustomed to."

"That much is clear," Balthier teased, but there was an edge in his voice that confused her. He wasn't jealous, was he?

Al-Cid seemed to sense something was amiss, and he stepped back. "I think I will need more of that drink you have, Master Pirate, before I can attempt another of these wild so-called dances."

Ashe watched Balthier's lip snarl at the words "Master Pirate," but Al-Cid had already bowed to her and headed back for the tent. She looked up at Balthier in confusion. "We were trying. We weren't going to be as skilled as Penelo in three minutes."

She watched Balthier down the remainder of his cup's contents, and he tossed it aside. "The trick to the steps is this," he said quickly, pulling her to him suddenly. "There are no steps."

His hand was very low on her back, holding her close while his other tangled with her fingers. She could feel his breath on her face, and it seemed like that last bit of "Adults Only" she'd had before dancing with Al-Cid was starting to affect her. His touch on her back was like a shock, and his hand was rougher than Al-Cid's from days of travel and fighting.

They still hadn't started moving, and the pounding of the drum and the furious clapping of the people around the edges of the circle were matching the thumping of her own heart. She knew her palm was sweaty as he held her hand, and her other hand gripped his shoulder tightly to stay upright. He was staring at her, that look in his eyes something she hadn't seen in a long time directed her way, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Why weren't they moving?

Penelo's voice rung out like a bell around them then, leading Ashe to finally break her stare with Balthier. "This one's for you guys!" she screamed, Basch trailing behind her with a downright silly smile on his face. The two of them had managed to get crowns of flowers and leaves on their heads, and they immediately raced back closer to the band.

The music abruptly increased in both volume and tempo, and she suddenly felt herself being pulled along like the tow of a tidal pool, and it seemed like her feet were cooperating without the need of her mind.

Balthier's body was incredibly warm as they made their way to stand closer to the other dancers. The sound of dozens of feet pounding the dirt mingled with the percussion, and the constant clapping was leaving her feeling like she was flying. The sky pirate deftly led them to join a chain of other dancers. She watched him grab the hand of an older woman and then he gave her a tug, dragging her along as they skipped around the fire almost like beings possessed. She gripped his wrist tightly and soon another man she hadn't seen before had latched on to her other arm.

They raced around the fire several times, the orange and yellow flames seeming to rise higher and higher as the blood pulsed through her veins and laughter surrounded her. Light gleamed off of the musicians' instruments, and she saw Basch and Penelo further down the circle leading the group around and around as the crowns deposited petals in their hair. The smoke mingled with the sweat of the refugees and the scent that was uniquely Balthier that she could feel all around her after he'd held her so close.

Finally, the circle broke apart, and everyone went back to dancing in pairs or in smaller groups. Balthier pulled her right next to the band, and his hand roamed up and down her back possessively as the bagpipes seemed to be nearly exploding in her ears. She clung just as tightly to him, her skin feeling unbelievably hot as the dancing fiddler leapt in the air and wove his way through the crowd and around them.

A woman she didn't recognize brought two more glasses of that delicious drink over, and she and Balthier downed them like they were water, returning to their dance in seconds. Her face almost hurt from smiling and laughing, and she hadn't felt so unbelievably free and happy in so very long. His usual guarded features were now open and his cheeks were bright pink, as were the tips of earlobes where his jewelry sparkled in the light of the fire.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Basch carrying a sleeping Penelo, and she pointed to show Balthier. He laughed so hard that it literally shook her body along with his, and she wondered how many more songs the band would play. She felt like she would never wish to stop. She'd take the time to regret all of the drinking in the morning.

Balthier leaned over to shout in her ear, but she could barely hear him over the music. "What?"

"Are you hungry?" he repeated, and finally she heard him.

"No!"

"Too bad!"

He pulled them away from the band, but the music seemed to follow and ring in her ears. They ducked and dodged the other dancers and a very long train of children, Balthier's hand clutching hers as he led her back to the tent with the food. She saw Al-Cid when they got back, and she waved to him happily. "He's a much better dancer than you, I'm afraid!" she announced noisily, and Balthier laughed and tried to ssh her with a finger to her lips.

The Rozarrian was growing a little blurry from the corner of her eye, but she could have sworn he was chuckling to himself as he gave her a final bow and departed. Balthier was gone from her vision for only seconds and back with a few more cups soon enough. He was having trouble standing, and he almost tipped the cup onto her as he passed it to her.

"You really told him off, Princess!" Balthier declared in between gulps of the drink. He leaned over and grabbed another one of the chocolate desserts from the table, and then pulled her back to the same crates where they'd been sitting earlier. Some of the families had left, and she wondered how long she and Balthier had actually been out there dancing. Any sense of time she'd had was now gone, and she felt so happy at that moment that she didn't really care what time it was. She drank eagerly and set the cup down in a way she thought was upright, but it wouldn't stay still, and it made her laugh.

Balthier was just about to bite down on the dessert he'd snagged, but she gave him a slap on the knee. "Is that all you do? Steal and not share?"

His eyes widened and he shook his head at her. They had to keep shouting to be heard. "I shared the last one with you, and then you went off to dance with that stupid Rozarrian!"

She laughed until tears were rolling down her cheeks, nearly falling off of the crate in the process. He had been jealous! He took a bite of the treat defiantly, and she grabbed his wrist as she vaguely recalled doing earlier. "Share it, will you?" she demanded, trying to pull the remainder of the dessert from his hand.

He shoved her away gently. "Alright, alright." Balthier smiled and held the chocolate in front of her face. She opened her palm and waited for him to deposit it there, but he shook his head. What did he want? His fingers brushed some of her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear while his other hand dangled the remainder of the chocolate in front of her mouth. She felt her heart racing as much as it had at the center by the musicians, and she'd had enough to drink that it didn't seem so very strange for Balthier of all people to be doing this. "Come on, you want it or not?"

The clapping continued to cheer on the dancers, and it seemed to be encouraging her as well. She licked her lips and let her mouth open slightly, and she closed her eyes. She felt his fingers beside her mouth then and the soft chocolate met her tongue seconds after. It was very rich with some sort of fruit aftertaste – she realized that they must have coated the thing with the same "Adults Only" drink she'd been having all evening. She chewed it, enjoying the taste of it. Ashe could feel some of it on the corner of her mouth, and she dabbed at it with the pad of her fingertip, sticking the digit in her mouth to make sure she didn't miss any of it.

When she finally opened her eyes again, she couldn't see Balthier. But then she felt a tug on her wrist pulling her down, and she fell back off of the crate, landing on something surprisingly softer than the dirt she expected. Before she had time to process being on the ground and probably on a blanket, Balthier's hands were traveling up and down her arms and back, and she could taste the chocolate and the sweet alcohol on his lips as he started kissing her. The music was still ringing in her ears, blocking out most of her sense, and she returned his attentions eagerly. Somehow, it registered in the back of her mind as something altogether not right, but she ignored it in favor of the warmth of his body pressing against hers and the pounding of drums and feet on the other side of the crates. Her mind wasn't really up to the dilemma of connecting Balthier with inappropriate touching and kissing at the moment because everything felt so wonderful. And that feeling was what sustained her as their lips stopped their furious dance and hands slowed their pace across cloth and flesh as the drums and pipes died down with the fires.

"Ashe, wake up. Please?"

She groaned, feeling sunlight on her face and a pounding in her head. The voice continued to ask for her to wake up, and she shook her head. "Go away, won't you?" She moved her hand to pull the rough blanket back over her, but her fingers brushed against an arm that she knew was not attached to her own body. Opening her eyes quickly, she looked down to see a surprisingly familiar white sleeve covering that foreign arm and emerging from the sleeve was a wrist with colorful bracelets and a hand with a few rings.

Her confusion increased a thousand fold, and she looked up to see a very panicked Penelo hunched down next to her, a dozen flower petals and twigs sticking out of her messy hair. "Ashe, please, you have to help me."

Why was Balthier's arm around her and why were they huddled together under a blanket? It was warm despite the chilly air, but they had lodgings up at the temple. If Basch could see her, she would have to physically restrain him. She was grateful to discover that she was still fully clothed and the sky pirate's hand was around her waist and not curled around any other part of her anatomy. Deciding to cross that bridge when she came to it, she pulled the arm off of her and scooted away from the pirate. She froze in place as he whispered her name in his sleep and rolled over. What had they done? She could see several empty cups on the ground around them, and she bit her lip.

Penelo helped her to her feet, and Ashe was surprised to find the girl was shaking. "Penelo, what's wrong?"

The girl's eyes were darting back and forth across the now deserted camp. The fire pit from the night before was extinguished, and Ashe could see a few people wandering to and fro in the distance, but she and Balthier seemed to be the only ones out in the open behind a few overturned crates. They'd spent the night out in the cold? How foolish had she been last night? She could remember dancing with Al-Cid and then Balthier, but not much more. Everything was fuzzy.

Penelo pulled her across the grounds, and Ashe kept looking back to reassure her eyes that it was in fact Balthier fast asleep where she left him under that blanket. Penelo dragged her to a tent, and Ashe could see Basch lying on his back at an awkward angle asleep. "What's wrong with Basch?" she asked the girl quickly, and Penelo was hurriedly trying to pluck all of the leaves from her hair.

"I…well, I guess I had a bit too much to drink last night, and Basch was nice enough to dance but…oh, Ashe, what am I going to do?"

Ashe gripped the girl's shoulders and gave her a shake. "What is going on?" Despite the hysterics happening around him, Basch remained snoring peacefully.

Penelo's eyes were haunted, and she pointed shakily to the leafy crown still resting on Basch's head where he lay on the ground. "Ashe, we got married."

The Princess felt like the world was spinning around, and even waking up in Balthier's arms had not been as startling. "You what?"

The girl nodded, her fingers continuing to pick petals from her loosened plaits. "I don't know how, and I don't know why…but they handed us these…crowns," she explained unsteadily, gesturing to Basch. "And I guess I was pretty far gone, so Basch put mine on me…and then they made us lead the group around the fire five times…you remember right?"

Ashe could vaguely recall Balthier pulling her along, and then she could remember seeing Basch and Penelo leading everyone. "Wait, how is that a marriage?"

Penelo shook her head and sighed. "They're refugees…they seem to have created their own wedding customs."

The Princess felt both embarrassed for them and amused at the same time. There was a rustling from behind them, and Balthier poked his head inside the tent. "Forgive my curiosity, but did I just hear the word wedding?"

Ashe felt a blush creep into her cheeks at his appearance, but she hadn't the slightest idea why. Perhaps it had something to do with the gaps in her memory that had led her to share a blanket under the stars with the sky pirate? Either way, Penelo's problem was more important at present. "Penelo seems to think that she and Basch got married last night."

The sky pirate grinned widely. "Oh…did you consummate the marriage?"

"Balthier!" she and Penelo squealed in unison, and that was what finally woke Basch from his slumber. The knight leaned on his elbows, bits of flower and vine falling across his face as he groggily eyed all three of them.

"What is the meaning of this? What did they put in my drink?" the man asked in confusion.

Balthier raced out of the tent then, and Ashe could hear him laughing like a man possessed. Penelo fell to her knees and cried out while Basch continued to look as if he'd entered another world where up was down and his traveling companions were all rightly insane.

Ashe decided to broach the topic gently. "Basch, perhaps we ought to pay the Gran Kiltias a visit."

Basch scratched his head and came away with a handful of flower petals. His eyes widened at that, but he nodded in agreement. "As you wish, my lady. Hopefully we will be able to make it to the Stilshrine by nightfall then, but if you require his counsel once more, take all the time you require…"

Ashe bit back a smile. Basch's amnesia was far worse than her own. "Actually, you and Penelo will be the ones speaking with him."

Penelo bolted from the tent then, leaving a trail of twigs in her wake. Basch eyed her warily. "Majesty, did I behave in an inappropriate way last night? I only wanted for her to be happy."

She couldn't hold in the laugh now, and her sides began to hurt. "Basch, come along now. We need to get you an annulment."

The good Captain was flabbergasted. "A what?"

She gave Basch a moment to himself and departed the tent before she laughed at him one time too many. Balthier was waiting for her outside looking positively giddy. "Can you believe that, Princess? That's what those bloody crowns were for."

Ashe nodded and couldn't make eye contact with him. "So it would appear." There was an awkward silence then, and she stared down at her feet. What if she had woken up wed to this strange man beside her? The thought made her stomach drop.

Basch emerged from the tent then, looking very out of sorts, understandably. Balthier smirked. "Pen headed up to the temple, you'll find her there." He crossed his arms and regarded Basch carefully. "Then again, Captain, a young wife suits you…you can still change your mind."

The knight's eyes were dangerous then, and his hand balled into a fist. Ashe grabbed Balthier's wrist and pulled him away. "Balthier, take a walk with me." They left Basch to trail up the mountain path after Penelo, and instead she led him back to the overturned crates with the questionable blankets behind.

She sat down, and he sat beside her. Ashe let her gaze wander to the coals of the campfire and the silence was growing awkward. Balthier's foot began to lazily trace circles in the dirt. Ashe cleared her throat. "About what might have…"

"I don't remember either," he interrupted her then, patting her shoulder gently. "And believe me, I want to. But," he continued, kicking a few of the cups over. "It must have been interesting."

She nodded, feeling slightly numb all over. "Well, at least we didn't get married."

"That would be disastrous," he agreed, moving his hand from her shoulder, and somehow she missed it.

"Disastrous? Marrying me would be disastrous?" she inquired with a quirk of her lips.

He chuckled. "Are you proposing to me in a backwards manner, Princess?"

Her jaw dropped. "What? No. No, of course not, I just…" She just what? What in Ivalice was she trying to say?

Their moment was interrupted then thankfully. "Am I to understand that Penelo and the Captain are having their marriage annulled right now?" Fran's voice inquired.

Balthier met his partner's face with a grin. "You understand correctly, Fran. Missed a good little to-do last night."

Fran raised an eyebrow. "Did I?" The Viera's sharp eyes seemed to bore a hole through her, and Ashe wanted to run away like Penelo had. Did she know? Had someone said that she and Balthier had slept beside each other after having a bit too much to drink?

Her partner shrugged. "Search me. Apparently the Princess and I had a lovely time…"

"Balthier, we didn't…"

Fran and Balthier both turned to glance at her curiously then, and she wanted to melt. The sky pirate smirked. "As I was saying Fran, the Princess and I had a lovely time dancing…unless Ashe has more to tell that I can't recall at present?"

Her mouth was dry. "No. Just dancing." Something was gnawing at the back of her mind, and she had flashes of recollection. Of a sky pirate's hand on her hip, and somehow she could vividly recall exactly how the texture of his hair felt. "Nothing wrong with dancing, is there?" And how surprisingly soft his lips had been. She rose to her feet shakily. "As soon as Basch and Penelo take care of their…situation, we will see if the path through the Rift is clear. Get your gear together."

She stumbled over an empty cup, but would not turn back to face them. She headed up the path to the temple, hoping that the steep climb would keep her mind off of the sudden return of her memories. In moments, a rather chipper and excited Vaan bounded over to her. "Morning! Did I miss anything?"

Ashe could just sense Balthier and Fran trailing behind her, their eyes watching her every move. "No, nothing. Is the path to the Stilshrine clear?"

The boy answered in the affirmative and began to ramble on about the buzz at the top of the temple complex where a young girl and an older man were apparently getting a quick annulment from the Gran Kiltias himself. Ashe nodded in all the right places, letting the boy ramble on and on.

"Ashe, are you listening to me?"

She looked up and saw Vaan smiling. "Hmm?"

"I asked if you and Balthier tried that drink? It was great, wasn't it?"

Ashe bit the inside of her cheek hard, hearing the clicking of Fran's shoes right behind her now. She turned around and rested her hands calmly on Vaan's shoulders. "Let's make a new rule for this journey, shall we?" The light clinking of jewelry behind her indicated Balthier's presence, and she did her best to look in Vaan's young, hopeful eyes. "Temperance."

"Temperance?" the boy inquired curiously.

She nodded. "That's right, temperance. For the remainder of our time together, we will refrain from alcohol and other excesses. Drinks like the one from last night are most dangerous things, and they impair our reason and our judgment."

Vaan nodded, but his face was confused. "If you say so. Anyhow, we'd better get going, right? Have you seen Penelo?"

Fran intervened then. "Why don't we go look for her?" Ashe inhaled sharply, willing the words to come. She did not need to be alone with Balthier again, especially now that the missing pieces from the night before were falling into place.

But there was little protest she could launch. The Viera and the boy went on ahead, and of course, the sky pirate stayed behind.

"Temperance then?" he asked curiously.

She crossed her arms. "Will that be a problem for you? I know you pirates enjoy the occasional drink."

"No more than royals seem to," he replied with a smile.

"You remember."

"Remember what, Princess?" His face was clearly hiding it. He had to have remembered. "I'm sorry, but I don't follow your implication."

She stood directly in front of him, close enough that she had to crane her neck to look up at him. "What happened, whether you recall it or not…it never happened. Are we clear?"

Balthier smiled down at her. "As you wish. It must have been something good then."

He moved to give her a little poke in the shoulder, but she swatted his finger away. "Nothing particularly memorable." Balthier looked slightly hurt by that remark, and she tried to ignore it. "Just…temperance from now on. We have a long journey ahead, and we cannot let our guard down so easily again."

Voices in the distance signaled the arrival of their other four companions, and Balthier nodded agreeably. Basch and Penelo were standing as far apart as possible, and the group headed south to return to the Paramina snows. Balthier walked by her side, and she did her best to look straight ahead and forget that she'd actually kissed him.

"Are we under temperance rules now?"

She nodded. "Yes, Balthier. Must you question everything I…"

Seeing that everyone else was ahead of them, he stopped her abruptly and kissed her, stealing her breath and her reason as she recalled him doing the night before. He released her before she had a chance to protest, and he placed something in her hand wrapped in a handkerchief.

"Temperance…from now on," he said with a smile. "Don't eat it all at one time then."

She watched him strut off confidently, her cheeks hot from his sudden attentions. Unwrapping the handkerchief, she sighed. Sitting in the middle of the crisp white cloth was one of the chocolate treats from the night before, the smell of the "Adults Only" drink coating the dessert bringing a smile to her face.


End file.
